Fire-escape.



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"Patented Feb. |8,'|902.

H. SPEBLING. FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application filed June 19, 1901.)

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(No Model.)

H. SPERLENG.

Patented Feb. l8, I902.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application filed June 19, 1901.)-

3 Shet s-Sheat 2.

(No Model.)

Wiifzesses:

No. 693,533. Patented Feb. [8, I902.

' H SPERLING.

FIRE ESCAPE.

A lication filed June 19. 19011 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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HENRY SPERLING, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 693,533, datedFebruary 18, 1902.

Application filed June 19,1901. Serial No. 65,093. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY SPERLING, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Jersey City Heights, Hudson county, New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in FireEscapes, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a fire-escape composed of a folding ladder,such as described in Patent No. 645,982, granted to me March 27, 1900.By the present invention 1 have devised means for relieving the winchesfor raising the ladder from excessive strain and for so distributing thepower that the ladders may be raised without undue effort on the part ofthe firemen.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is side elevation of thefire-escape, showing the ladder lowered. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectionon line 2 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section through the post h72. Fig. at, a side view of the lower portion of the post; Fig. 5, across-section on line 5 5, Fig. 3; Fig. 6, a side view of the lower endof one of the rods m; Fig. 7, a section on line 7 7, Fig. 6; Fig. 8, aside elevation of the fire-escape, showing the ladder partly raised; andFig. 9, a front View, partly in section, of one of the ladders r.

The letter (t represents the platform of the fire-escape mounted uponwheels, as usual. Fromthe platform projects upwardlyastandard b, towhich is hinged the lowermost section b of a folding ladder 1) b shownto be composed of two sections, though it may obviously be made withadditional sections. The uppermost section b is provided with an arch orsegment b as more fully described in my Patent No. 645,982, abovereferred to. Over this arch pass a pair of ropes c d, of which the rope0 leads from the back of the arch to a front winch 6, while the rope (Zleads from the front of the arch to a rear winch f. By turning the winche the ladders b b will be raised off their support 9 into anapproximately upright position, Fig. 8, and by then turning the winch fthe top section b will be raised vertically above the bottom section b,so that the ladder is completely unfolded.

In order to facilitate the above operation of raising the ladder and torelieve the winches from excessive strain, I have devised the followingconstruction: To the upper end of the ladder-section Z) is hinged at hthe up per member h of a telescoping post. The lower hollow member 7Z2of this post carries at its lower end a roller 71 which runs between apair of rails h 71 of which the upper rail N forms a stop for limitingthe movement of the roller. When the ladder is lowered, Fig. 1, the postis telescoped and in an inclined position. Therefore when the post isfirst righted and then distended it will tend to gradually raise theladder. In order to righten the post, it is connected at its lower endby a rope Z to a rear winch 71' By turning this winch the roller 72 willbe moved along the rail 71 towardthe rear of the platform, and thus thepost will be gradually righted. The turning of the Winch 7c should takeplace simultaneously with the turning of the winch 6, so that the ladderis pulled and pushed at the same time into an inclined position. By nowdistending the telescoping post the lower section Z) of the ladder willbe swung still farther into an upright-position. This distention of thepost is effected by means of a Winchj on post-section 71 which raisespost-section h by means of a rope t running over pulley z". The pulley'i is secured to the upper end of the section h and the rope 2 issecured to the base of section it, so that upon turning the winch j thesection it will be gradually drawn out of section 71 In this Way thesimultaneous manipulation of first the winches e and 7e and then of thewinches e and j will effect the righting of the lower ladder section binto the position shown in Fig. 8. After the ladder has been broughtinto this position the upper section b is righted by the winch f; buthere again additional means should be provided for relieving the winchfrom excessive strain. These means consist of a pair of rods on, theupper ends m of which are forked or hooked to removably engage across-piece Z) at the free end of section 6 The lower ends of rods mcarry rollers m movable between rails n at. These rails extend along theplatform a to the right and left of the rails 72 h. In order to move thebase of rods m along the rails 12 n, I employ a front winch 1),connected to the lower ends of the rods by ropes q g.

If the ladder b is to be raised, the upper ends of the rods m are hookedinto the crosspiece 12 while the rods are inclined and the rollers m arein their rearmost position, Fig. 8. By now turning the winch psimultaneously with the winch f the rods m will be gradually raised intoan upright position, so that the ladder is started and the winch f isrelieved and can fully raise the ladder.

It will be seen that by the cooperation of the winches the severalsections of the folding ladder may easily be raised and that anexcessive amount of power at any one point is obviated.

I prefer to provide the main ladder with a number of auxiliary laddersr, Fig. 8, which may be thrown out in a horizontal or slantingdirection, so as to reach the windows. These ladders are madeextensible, Fig. 9, being provided with an upper sliding section 1",that may be raised and lowered by means of a winch s and rope 15,running over roller 25. The ladder 'r is swiveled at r to a platform I)of ladder b, so that it can be turned in any direction desired.

What I claim is- 1. A fire-escape composed of upper and lowerladder-sections hinged together, ropes and winches for raising thesections; combined with auxiliary raising means consisting of anextensible post to engage the lower section and sliding rods to engagethe upper section, whereby the ropes and winches are relieved ofexcessive strain, substantially as specified.

2. A fire-escape composed of upper and lower ladder-sections hingedtogether, means for raising the sections, auxiliary raising means torelieve the first-named means of excessive strain, said auxiliaryraising means consisting of a telescopic sliding post hinged to thelower section, and sliding rods removably engaged by the upper section,and means to right the post and rods.

3. A fire-escape having a platform, two hinged ladder sections mountedthereon, means for raising and keeping the position of the lowersection, guide-rails secured to the platform, sliding rods havingrollers at one end to engage the rails and adapted to re movably engagethe upper ladder-sections at their other ends, and means on the platformfor raising the upper sections and righting the rods, substantially asspecified.

4. In a fire-escape, the combination of two hinged ladder-sections,ropes and winches for raising the sections, sliding rods to removablyengage the upper section, rollers journaled in the rods, rails toconfine the rollers, and winches for raising the rods, substantially asdescribed.

Signed by me at New York city, county and State of New York, this 18thday of June,

